Music icon dead at 54 after breast cancer battle: ‘A true original’

Life & CulturePublished: Aug. 14, 2026, 2:30 a.m.Cat Dowling has died.Getty ImagesBy Brian Linder | blinder@pennlive.comPop singer Catherine “Cat” Dowling has died.She was 54.The Irish Star said that a cause of death has not been reported, but Dowling was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017. The Star called Dowling an “Irish music icon.”Fans and friends took to social media to remember Dowling after the news of her death.“We are so saddened to hear of the death of Catherine ‘Cat’ Dowling,” the band The Stunning wrote on Facebook. “She was a true original. Deepest sympathies to her family and friends. She is another huge loss to Irish music.“If you don’t know her music, check it out on all the streaming platforms,” the statement added. “She opened for us in Kilkenny a few years back. Her l